Polyolefins are plastic materials useful for making a wide variety of valued products due to their combination of stiffness, ductility, barrier properties, temperature resistance, optical properties, availability, and low cost. In particular, polyethylene (PE) is one of the largest volume polymers consumed in the world. It is a versatile polymer that offers high performance relative to other polymers and alternative materials such as glass, metal or paper. One of the most valued products is plastic films. Plastic films such as PE films are mostly used in packaging applications but they also find utility in the agricultural, medical and engineering fields.
PE films are manufactured in a variety of polymer grades that are usually differentiated by the polymer density such that PE films can be designated for example, low density polyethylene (LDPE), medium density polyethylene (MDPE) and, high density polyethylene (HDPE) wherein each density range has a unique combination of properties making it suitable for a particular application. Generally speaking, films prepared from MDPE and HDPE display poor optical properties in terms of a high degree of haze and low clarity. An ongoing need exists for MDPE and HDPE polymer compositions having improved optical properties.